The coordinated actions were part of "Common Action Day," a Europe-wide operation led by Europol aimed at detaining those suspected of directing illegal migrant transfers into Europe, said Katarzyna Zdanowicz, spokesperson for the Podlaskie Branch of the SG in Białystok.
Europol, headquartered in The Hague, supports EU member states in combating terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crimes. It also collaborates with numerous non-EU countries and international organizations.
The operation spanned Poland, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, and Germany, involving over 450 officers from various agencies. From the Polish side, officers from the Nadbużański and Podlaski branches of the Border Guard participated.
According to officers from the SG station in Terespol, members of an international group were organizing the illegal transfer of migrants across the Belarus-Poland border.
An Iraqi citizen and four Polish nationals were detained in connection with the case. They were responsible for transporting foreigners to locations near Warsaw, where the migrants awaited transit to Western European countries. The Iraqi national and one Polish suspect have been temporarily arrested, while the other three Poles were released on bail.
Over 50 officers from the Polish Border Guard and three officers from the Finnish Border Guard took part in these actions. Assets seized pending future penalties included a vehicle and collections of luxury watches and sunglasses, with a total value of approximately PLN 204,000 (USD 50,000).
Another suspected member of the group was arrested in the United Kingdom based on a European Arrest Warrant and an Interpol Red Notice. The 35-year-old detainee is soon set to be handed over to Poland. Officers from the SG post in Narewka collaborated with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) in the operation.
(jh)
Source: IAR, PAP